CSP Ebere Amaraizu, the national coordinator of POCACOV, stated on Wednesday that Gambling remained a pull factor luring teenagers into social vices.
Mr. Amaraizu uttered these words while discussing the recent hazards of gambling addiction, as well as the obstacles and solutions for young Nigerians. According to him, youth gambling addiction is a negative force that benefits no one.
"Therefore, the advocacy for a holistic social approach where all hands would be on deck by all key stakeholders with the intention of reversing the emerging trend," he said.
He noticed that one of the primary attractions of gambling was the promise and anticipation of a large payout, and he asserted that young people frequently have difficulty coping with losses and prefer to overcompensate by wagering more money.
"Gambling promotes irresponsible and reckless behaviour and impairs the ability to assess risks and consequences accurately. It is evidently a pull factor for vices, sadness, suicide, and certain mental disorders, among others, as Mr. Amaraizu remarked.
He continued, "Studies have shown that children who are hooked to gambling are more likely to miss school, receive poor marks, and drop out of school. It ruins academic and professional achievement."
Mr. Amaaizu remarked that youths who are addicted to gambling are more prone to substance and drug abuse, which increases the pathways and participation in criminal activities, and he emphasised that combating gambling addiction would require the participation of all relevant stakeholders through holistic societal approaches.
"There is also a need to create a better and safer environment for children to grow and thrive through adult guidance and parent support programmes that focus on the negative effects of gambling/betting," said Mr. Amaraizu, urging various regulatory and reorientation agencies to "rise to the challenges for a safe, peaceful, and secured society and a better nation."
(Source: gazettengr.com)
